LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Benguet State University is one of the eight training pools for development of future national players for football.

BSU Sports Director Frael Aquino this week said the Philippine Football Federation is eyeing the university as one of the eight training pools in the country for its grassroots development program.

“The PFF saw the potential of our athletes here. We have contributed a lot of our players here who eventually become national players, so they know that we have a vast array of talents here,” said Aquino

The university’s football team coach said as a training pool, the PFF would provide technical expertise to the university in training young people. He said training will be provided for the age groups: 12, 14, 16, and 18 years old.

He added BSU might also be a recipient of PFF with sets of equipment such as balls, goals, among others for the training of the athletes.

Young kids interested in football are trained under the grassroots development program “Kasibulan”. It is one of the few remaining PFF grassroots development program and being sustained locally by Aquino, who is a veteran football coach in BSU.

However, with the pandemic, Aquino, President of the Cordillera Region Football Association, Inc., said they are still following protocols that’s why athletes are encouraged to conduct conditioning training on their own.

He said most athletes now are into other physical fitness activities like biking and jogging as a means to strengthen until the Inter Agency Task Force allows group training or even playing.

Aquino and most coaches are also constantly monitoring on their athletes as part of sports psychology.

“Because we are considered as second parents, we do take time in talking to them, the more that they need us now,” he added.